


Research

by haldoor



Series: Overthinking [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-23
Updated: 2012-05-23
Packaged: 2017-11-05 21:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/410993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haldoor/pseuds/haldoor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><b>Warnings/Spoilers:</b> None, unless talk about homosexuality amongst animals upsets you<br/><b>Disclaimer:</b> Still no ownership; still don't make any money<br/><b>Beta:</b> Once again, unbeta'd, so let me know if it's messy.<br/><b>Summary:</b> Steve can't understand where Danny gets this stuff from.  Should he be worried?<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	Research

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kaige68](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaige68/gifts).



> Once again, this is for you, babe. *smooches*

Steve and Danny are sitting in the chairs outside Steve's house drinking beer and watching Grace frolic in the water after work one Friday. Steve's smiling at Grace's game, warmth filling him at being allowed to share this time with Danny. He shifts his eyes to Danny and his grin widens at the happy expression on the man's face. He's at his most relaxed and open when he's enjoying time with Grace, and Steve feels privileged to be allowed to share some of it.

"Did you know there are documented cases of gay penguins?" Danny asks out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Steve frowns, looking away and gulping at his beer. Where on earth did _that_ come from?

"Penguins," Danny repeats, like a patient teacher. "In captivity and in the wild. Some of the male ones prefer the company of other males. They set up nests and everything. Some of them - in captivity this is, anyway - have even been given eggs to hatch."

Steve gulps nervously from the beer again. He's not sure why Danny would have suddenly brought this up, but maybe it's some kind of school project Grace has been doing - although surely _gay_ penguins would not be the focus of something like that. Perhaps it's just something that Danny came across while researching something for Grace's project - which Steve is now convinced must be right. Why else would he be talking about it to Steve? He can't suspect Steve's interest in him, can he?

Steve hasn't said anything, but he flicks a sideways look at Danny, trying to read his expression. Danny's looking down at his beer and Steve can't get anything from his face.

When Steve doesn't say anything yet, Danny goes on. "There was this couple of 'em in Toronto Zoo, Buddy and Pedro, but apparently Buddy found a female mate when they separated them."

Steve turns to look at Danny properly now, partly outraged about the gay penguins being split up and partly amazed at Danny knowing about it. "They split them up?" is all he can think of to say.

"Yeah." Danny nods, wrinkling his brows as he looks back at Steve. "Something about them being endangered and they needed to widen the gene pool."

Steve makes a face and nods thoughtfully, tracking Grace's movements rather than take Danny's scrutiny. How's he supposed to react to this story? He hopes it's not some kind of a test, because he'd hate to fail it.

"So..." Danny says, drawing the word out in such a deliberate way that Steve has to look at him. "I bet you never knew there were gay penguins."

"No, Danny, I did not," Steve manages, trying to keep his face impassive as he shifts his attention back to where Grace is digging in the sand. "Thank you for keeping me informed."

He hears Danny snort, but refuses to look back at him. "And they're not the only species either. It's been quite widely observed throughout the animal kingdom, apparently. Lions, giraffes, chimpanzees, lizards, dolphins... although strictly speaking it's not necessarily gay; in fact they say most of them are more bisexual than exclusively homosexual."

Steve's heart is racing now; this can't be as random as he first thought. He brings the beer bottle up to his mouth again to cover his nervousness. "You've been studying this. Dolphins too, huh?" Steve gets out, aiming for casual.

In his peripheral vision, Steve sees Danny raise his eyebrows. "Yeah. There's dolphins, penguins, other seabirds. So maybe... and this is just speculation on my part because I didn't see them on the list, but... maybe seals too?"

Steve chokes on the mouthful of beer he's just taken, and spends the next ten minutes coughing, in between Danny slapping his back hard and trying to draw air into his lungs.

Danny screws up his face as Steve's coughing slows. "That was harsh. You okay? Was it something I said?"

When Steve finally gets enough breath to speak, he looks at the worry on Danny's face and nods. "Yeah."

"Sorry, babe. If I'd known I was going to cause you a near-death experience, I never would have mentioned the sexual habits of marine creatures."

Steve huffs, wiping his mouth with the back of a hand, and cautiously meets Danny's eyes again. "You seem to know an awful lot about them. You aiming to complete the study?"

"You think I could get a grant or something?" Danny looks almost serious. "But there are just as many land animals with similar habits, you know. Maybe you could help with research."

Steve's eyes widen at the implication and he starts to smile. Maybe he doesn't need to keep his words to himself so much after all.

~//~


End file.
